Five Star Iris

Five Star Iris are most certainly a band for the 21st century. From Atlanta, Georgia, 5SI (as they have become known) recently released their debut, six track EP and are one of the most exciting new bands I've heard this year. Imagine a cross between U2, Collective Soul, Simple Minds and Cruel Story Of Youth (okay, that last one is probably a bit obscure) and you'll have some idea of how good this quartet's material is. Less the 'nu-breed of melodic rock', more the 'nu-breed of AOR'. Now THAT'LL start some controversy!......

Still, these guys are making people listen right now. Could 2004 find them signed to one of the majors?

"We're definately kicking ass at the moment," reveals 5SI's vocalist Alan Schaefer. "Our fan base is growing steadily and interest from labels is really beginning to pick up."

The story begins in Jacksonville, Florida. And it could've ended way, way before it had even begun....

"I grew up playing guitar, but I was never serious about music until I had a near-death experience when I was in college down in Miami. I contracted a mystery illness that baffled everybody and I almost died. I vowed at the time that if I got through it I'd just go and do what I wanted to do with my life. So I picked up the guitar and never looked back.

"I grew up in Jacksonville, Florida and, after finishing school, I moved up to Atlanta, Georgia to hook up with my twin brother to form a band. We wound up excusing the singer and I stepped in, improved my singing thanks to voice lessons and started learning how to write songs."

Had you ever thought about fronting a band before?

"In Miami I had been in a band called Vesper Sparrow. It was originally an otherwise all-girl band. There was quite a buzz on them. They spilt up and reformed with me on guitar and another guy on bass. But they never even let me sing harmonies!!"

How did it feel to become a frontman then?

"I was scared shitless! There was no magic that night. Ha! Ha!  I was a little lifeless at first, but I got over that."

The band Alan and his bass playing brother Robert  put together with one Dan Fishman was Groundscore. The year was 1997. They became Another Man Down after coming out of CBGB's in New York one night and witnessed a drunk tumbling to the floor.

"We toured regionally, but never got to the next level. I feel that Five Star Iris has a distinct sound. Another Man Down didn't.  I think that's why Five Star Iris will be more successful."

"Another Man Down did three records. Ed Roland of Collective Soul produced some demo tracks tracks for songs that eventually wound up on the third album (2001's 'Dangerous And Close') and Butch Walker sang backups on it. David Ryan Harris of Brand New Immortals also appeared. But the songs were all over the place. It was good, but we just didn't have the correct sound.

"We did have a holiday hit with 'The Dreydl Song'. It got a lot of radio play, but I didn't want to be known forever as the novelty guy."

You've continued to work with Ed Roland to this day. How did you wind up collaborating with him? How did that partnership flourish?

"I first met Ed when he had heard us recording at Tree Sound Studios in Atlanta around the time of Collective Soul's 'Dosage' album. As I said, he produced a three track demo of ours prior to us recording the 'Dangerous And Close' album. We reconnected again earlier this year, having spent a couple of years out of touch. We wrote together for the first time last May."

"But I also started to go up to Nashville, Tennessee to write with guys up there. I wound up being taken under the wing of Dennis Matkosky (responsible for penning 'Maniac', as performed by Michael Sembello on the 'Flashdance' soundtrack) and also met up with Dexter Green. Dexter wasn't producing anyone at the time, but he wanted to produce what became Five Star Iris. We had the same idea of wanting to come up with a sound rather than just a record.

"He wrote the first song on our EP with my voice in mind. We've got to give huge credit to Dexter. He'll be a Glen Ballard/Brendan O'Brien kinda guy in the future. And he'll be a better guitar player than anyone in any band he produces. He's an extremely talented guy.

You were briefly known as Highwire. Why the name change?

"Once we started recording the new stuff we decided to reinvent ourselves. I came up with the Highwire name. I pressed up a few promo CDs with the name on until we discovered a band up in Buffalo had been using the name for some time.

"We needed a new name for a club booking in Atlanta. My wife walked in one day and suggested Five Star Iris. A flower that grows well under adverse conditions. That kinda struck a chord!

"I see us as being the kind of band who will be capable of reinventing ourselves, yet still have a common thread to our sound. Rather like U2.

"It's funny, I've tried so hard in the past and got nowhere, that I've been encouraged to stop trying so hard and things really are beginning to happen. It might sound funny, but I feel like I have a band of angels looking out for me. I guess it might be that I'm at peace with the past. Things are really going well. We're getting all this interest from all over the world. I even heard the other day that we could be getting 'Something I Can Do' licensed for use on TV!

"The EP is currently available online through our website (www.fivestariris.com), or through Amazon and other similar sites. I want as many people as possible to know this is a good record. "

Five Star Iris (the Schaefer brothers, drummer Dan Fishman and lead guitarist Alex Winfield) were recently invited to play (and Alan to sing the American National Anthem) at a recent Atlanta Thrashers NHL game, when the local side played host to the Tampa Bay Lightning. However, while that 'gig' was called off by the Thrashers at virtually the eleventh hour, it looks likely that another date will be arranged in the New Year.  Interestingly, Alan's own sporting passion is football. That's the kind of football the majority of the American people call soccer....

 "I have a friend who played for Coventry City and I once saw Wolverhampton Wanderers play an exhibition game over here, but I would love to see a live English league game!" he reveals, even if that might extend to watching some of the dire, long-ball tactics woefully employed by Notts County of late!

Anyway, in terms of Five Star Iris' future, things are looking more rosier than the Nationwide Division Two status of my beloved Magpies! With label interest growing and press interest starting to kick in, the plan is simple. Exposure. Exposure. Exposure.

"We want to play out as much as we can, but our next focus is to get on the radio. We're also looking at doing some shows for our troops overseas.

"I feel extremely lucky to be in this position with the band right now. I'm having trouble sleeping at night because I'm just so excited at how things are going!"

Band picture courtesy of Alan Schaefer